L'Homme Chic No. 813 by Kossuth

L'Homme Chic No. 813, Kossuth

1928-1929

Hand- colored pochoir

"Showcasing the peak of winter elegance, this 1928–1929 fashion plate, numbered 813, was designed by the acclaimed artist Kossuth for the luxury French publication L'Homme Chic. The piece depicts an exceptionally elegant man dressed in formal morning dress, which includes a dark gray or black morning coat with a characteristic "cutaway" front, a high-cut single-breasted waistcoat, and vertically striped morning trousers. Complementing the attire are traditional accessories of the era: a black top hat, a walking cane, and polished black footwear. The artwork is rendered in the pochoir technique, a specialized French method of hand-coloring prints through intricate stencils, which was a hallmark of high-end fashion publications in the early 20th century.

The illustration was originally published in L'Homme Chic, an influential French fashion journal established in the early 1920s to promote Parisian elegance. Artists like Kossuth were instrumental in these publications, using stylized, elongated figures to communicate the idealized silhouette and "modern" attitudes of the Art Deco period. These fashion plates served a vital practical role; before the widespread availability of ready-made clothing, they provided essential visual references for tailors and elite clients to replicate the latest trends from the fashion capital of the world. Today, this piece is significant as both a cultural artifact of the "Roaring Twenties" and a masterful example of the pochoir printing process, capturing the pinnacle of French sartorial heritage.

Dimensions: H 8 ½” x 9 ¼” W

Condition: In very good condition